Queen Mother
by midnight87
Summary: By the time you read this, it will be too late. We are dead. I am sorry for your loss.


_Queen Mother, _

_By the time you read this, it will be too late. We are dead._

_I am sorry for your loss. _

_You made it impossible for us to be together, and while he will always love you as his mother, he will never forgive you, even in death._

_Your son simply decided that he would rather be with me in death, than apart in life. _

_The line of succession has been set, and his half brother Sesshomaru will become the next King. As such, you are no longer the Queen Mother, and your place at court is in the hands of the bastard you so deeply loathe. _

_Sesshomaru has received his own letter from his brother, describing our predicament, and also explaining our fate._

_It is in your best interest to take this letter to heart. If you feel the need to not believe me, think us alive, and scour the world till you find us; so be it. Personally, this is my greatest desire. _

_Your son, however, does not wish to leave you with a cruel sense of hope, or a futile mission driving you till you follow us to the grave. His final act of love towards you, which you do not deserve. _

_I told him, you see, of all your treacherous deeds towards me, and him as well. He truly hates you, for what you have done. This is why I have written this, and he to Sesshomaru. _

_Bitter though it makes me, I am glad you now know the pain you caused me. Even more so knowing it will haunt you to your grave, as you have pushed us into ours. _

_I digress. If you choose to spend your days looking for us, so be it. I hope, however, that you cease any ideas you already have of overthrowing Sesshomaru. _

_Ever cautious, Inuyasha not only approved the line of succession with Sesshomaru as the next ruler, he also formally resigned in his duty as King. You have not been the Queen Mother for hours now. I wonder, did you feel your power fade away? Or did you live these last few hours with a sense of power you did not have? _

_I'm sure I needn't tell you that it is best to hide what has truly happened to us. For your safety as well as for the good of the kingdom. A hunting accident should suffice for the King, and no one will miss me. They think me dead already, thanks to you. _

_You've gotten your wish, and I am dead. How ironic though, that your wish cost you your son's life. Was it worth it, was all of this worth it to you?_

_I don't have much time left. We don't have much time left. Forgive me, but I am not inclined to spend what little time I have thinking of you. _

_Inuyasha and I are going to the cliff, and from there we will cast ourselves off the edge and into the abyss below. Then our bodies will be at the mercy of the sea. Any attempt to find our bodies will be futile, though I do fear what you would try to do to mine should it be found. _

_We thought the cliff the most fitting end. I know you have sought the secret behind our union for months. We will take that secret to the grave. A hint, however, I feel will be sufficient to drive you mad till the end of your days. It was at the cliff that we met. _

_With this, I will end this letter. From here till the end, I will think only of Inuyasha, and you never again. He will not think of you ever. Oh, lest I forget, you should also know that we were wed hours ago. We face the end united in love, spirit, and in God's eyes. _

_Good bye Mother._

Though the fashion of the day was to lighten the complexion of the face, the Queen Mother knew her own face was pale for another reason. All was silent as her ladies and her knights guard watched her read the letter. Sometime in the middle of her reading she had went from standing to sitting in a chair perched around the fireplace.

"Your majesty, are you alright?"

She didn't even look up. Her stomached swirled with grief and raged with anger. The crinkling sound made her start, and she realized she was crushing the letter. Putting it down, she stood suddenly and marched through her chamber to the door. "Stay here, all of you!"

Once she was in the hall her pace quickened. Soon she was running, her skirts pulling at the seams at the pressure.

"Sesshomaru!" Her cry was met with the stares of servants, knights, all thirteen of the High Council, and lastly that of her late husband's bastard child. She stopped herself before she could straighten her appearance. Fidgeting was not Queen-like. "Leave us,"

She said instead, waving her hand absently in the air, as if there were no question that she still had the power to command every level of society standing in the room.

The servants did not hesitate to scramble at the sound of her voice, but the knights and council simply turned to Sesshomaru. A man whom, days ago, hours ago, they did not deem worthy of wiping their armor clean. A bastard, even the King's bastard, did not command authority or power. The change in their loyalty angered her. Her son was the King.

Sesshomaru nodded his head, and the room cleared. When the thick oak shut behind them, the Queen Mother turned and faced him. "You received a letter?"

Sesshomaru nodded again. Strangely, he did not seem smug. Was he not going to gloat over the reversal in power?

"And my son? He is dead then?"

The air was palpable, charged with every ounce of hope and anger and grief that filled her entire body. She dare not breathe.

"Yes, the King is dead."

She knew her line, but she couldn't say it. Would not say it to this bastard King. Instead she let her breathe out in a pathetic gasp. The tears stung her eyes, but Queens did not cry. Instead she began to pace the room. "The little wench, I knew she was no good for my son. I knew she would be his downfall. I say right through her act. Now my son...Inuyasha..." she paused, her anger fading from her.

The grief overwhelmed her. Grief for her son, her own child. Grief as well for her, for her future and her plans to rule the kingdom, lost forever now.

Sesshomaru moved away from his desk, coming to a stop a few feet away from the begrieved woman. "I will not make this process any harder on you than need me. You have lost a son, I a true brother, and the kingdom a great King. We must not dwell in something we cannot change.

"The official story will be that the King was lost to us in a horrific hunting accident. Inuyasha finalized the line of succession naming me heir, so no one will challenge even though I am a bastard. I intend on honoring my brother's last wishes, and also his memory, so if you have any intention of spreading the truth behind his death, I will do everything in my power to stop you.

"You are, however, welcome in this castle and anywhere in the kingdom. My parents are both dead, and you your son. As such, you may continue to be the Queen Mother, if you are willing to be associated to me in such an intimate way. In any case, whatever you decide you may do with my blessing."

The Queen Mother, shocked by his speech, stood silently, regarding him. His offer for her to act as a Mother to him seem laughable to her, given her cruelties to him in childhood. In any case, she had the whole world laying at her feet upon his generosity. Perhaps that bitch hadn't taken everything from her.

Inuyasha. The pain was still fresh, just thinking his name made the grief hit her anew. She had betrayed him. The guilt mixed with her grief until she couldn't tell the two apart. God willing, Kagome had been wrong and Inuyasha had been able to forgive her before-

A whimper escaped her lips, and her body was wracked one after the other in overwhelming sobs.

Sesshomaru hesitated, but then walked to his brother's mother and put a hand on her back. The crying did not ease, and he had no intention on pretending to care for her when he knew it was not his hand she wanted on her. "Take your time in deciding. Know that I will always care for you, because it is what he would have wanted."

With that he walked away and to the door. He stopped at the sound of her movement, and turned to look behind him.

She had controlled her sobs for the moment, and was attempting to regain her breathing. She wiped her eyes so hard the skin stung, and finally looked up. The tears, despite her effort, continued to fall. "Long live the King."

* * *

The letter had been the easy part. Kagome found it all to easy to hurt her mother in law, and that scared her. It was not in her nature to be bitter or cruel, but she had found enjoyment in torturing the woman in that last letter. She would have to pray to God for forgiveness, and Inuyasha as well. She knew that this would be hard for him, and if she had made it harder...

"Love?"

Turning, she smiled as she saw him walking closer to him. "It's strange, seeing you in such plain clothes."

A smile tugged at his lips and he looked down at himself in mock confusion. "What? Am I not handsome anymore?"

Laughing, Kagome stood and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You are the handsomest. Your down right beautiful."

His gruff laughter shook her as his chest rose and fell, and he squeezed her tighter to him.

Suddenly serious, he took a step back and looked deeply into her chocolate brown eyes. "Are you sure about this?"

"Am I sure? I'm a dead woman either way. It's you that has the choice. You are giving up everything you have...your entire future."

He silenced her with a kiss, quick and firm and everything she loves. "We don't have a choice. Living life without you would be an eternity of hell. In death, I will have you always."

Solemnly they walked together, out of the quiet hut they had been inhabiting. Kagome was half way to her mount when Inuyasha tugged her hand, and brought her with him to his brown mare. Once he was safely seated atop the horse, he leaned down and swung Kagome up to his lap. When she was settled, Inuyahsa grabbed the reins of Kagome's horse, and they rode off in silence.

The ride to the cliff was short, the wind brisk. Once they made it to the opening, Inuyasha stopped the horses, and they slowly dismounted and walked to the edge. Squeezing his hand, Kagome looked at him.

She knew her eyes said what she couldn't. This was it, one final opportunity to change his mind. Pulling her close, he kissed her. The kiss was deep and passionate and filled them both with love and desire. "I will love you forever, my wife."

Kagome smiled, tears building beneath her eyes. She nodded, telling him she was ready. "And I will love you, my dearest husband."

Nodding, he placed one final kiss on her forward. With that, he didn't look down, and he didn't look back. With his wife in his arms, they went together, over the edge and past the point of return, together towards their eternity together.

* * *

_King Sesshomaru, my brother_

_I am sorry I have lied to you, and I am sorry that I have not always been the best brother. I am most sorry, however, that I will no longer be here with you. Though you're only my half brother, I loved you like a full brother, and a true friend. _

_I know Kagome has spoken to you in regards to our plans. My mother has done unforgivable things, both to you and Kagome, and I find it hard myself to forgive her for the betrayals she has put upon me. I hope you can, however, find some way to forgive her. It is what our father asked of me on his death bed, and what I ask of you on mine. Do not trust her. _

_I know that you will rule the kingdom as a Great King, and I hope that you are able to find love of your own. And when you do find her, I hope that you are able to protect her when I could not protect Kagome. _

_I will always be here for you, if you know where to look._

_Your loving brother, _

_Inuyasha_

Sesshomaru put the letter down, unable to stop reading it.

"King Sesshomaru, you are needed in the throne room,"

Sesshomaru nodded, and the adviser left without further answer. Looking around his small room that he had held as the bastard of the King, he was saddened to think that soon he would be moved into a much larger room. The room his brother vacated.

Stowing the letter in his hidden compartment in the wall, Sesshomaru followed the trail his advisor was leading to the throne room. He reached the door, but stopped himself from leaving. "I will find you brother," With that he left, assuming the new responsibilities of his role as King.

* * *

Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews all of my work. The feedback is much appreciated. On that note, I want to thank one reader, SuperMikoFromTheFuture, in partiuclar, for her review of "How to Deal". It really inspired me to write this story, just a little tester for Valentine's Day. I'm toying with an idea of extending the story off of this, but for now it's just a nice little oneshot. But again, thank you to everyone, and Happy Valentine's Day. Till Next Time...


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